One of the more difficult aspects of reviewing Tantara's series of impressive salutes to Stan Kenton and his music is knowing where to begin. As on Volume 1 of the label's Double Feature (with Volume 3 already on the street as this is being written), the two-CD set is divided in twain: Disc 1 features the Kenton Orchestra in two live performances from 1959, Disc 2 fourteen seldom-heard Kenton charts by Bill Mathieu (who also wrote the earnest and informative liner notes), performed by the superb Nova Jazz Orchestra from St. Paul, MN (the equally commendable DePaul University Jazz Ensemble was ensconced opposite the Kenton Orchestra on Volume 1). While anyone who knows and loves Kenton's music will be well-versed on what to expect from Disc 1, the real eye-opener (as was true of the DePaul ensemble on Volume 1) is the Nova Orchestra on Disc 2, whose re-creation of the "Kenton sound" is masterful and on the mark.

In addition to furnishing all of the arrangements on Disc 2 and composing five of its numbers, Mathieu, who began writing for Kenton in 1959, arranged "What Is This Thing Called Love," "This Is Always" and "Willow Weep for Me" on Disc 1, which consists of a radio air-check in April 1959 from the Blue Note in Chicago and an appearance in June at the Red Hill Inn in Pennsauken, NJ. As most of the music on Disc 1 is familiar (including "The Big Chase," "My Old Flame," "Get Out of Town" and "I Concentrate on You" from the album Back to Balboa), it can be summarized rather quickly. Suffice to say the '59 band swung about as hard as any Kenton ever fronted, with well-knit charts by Mathieu, Pete Rugolo, Johnny Richards, Marty Paich, Bill Holman, Lennie Niehaus, Gene Roland, Joe Coccia and the leader himself. On the Blue Note date, whose sound is not sub-par but variable, the orchestra leads off with one of Holman's finest charts, "What's New" (solos by Niehaus, baritone Billy Root, trumpeter Rolf Ericson and trombonist Kent Larsen).

The same quartet solos on "I Concentrate on You," while elsewhere there are effective statements from tenor Bill Trujillo and trombonist Archie LeCoque. The Red Hill Inn concert, splendidly recorded by Wally Heider, offers more of the same, with baritone Jack Nimitz, in for Root, soloing with Ericson, tenor John Bonnie, trombonist Jimmy Knepper and percussionist Mike Pacheco on Paich's "The Big Chase." Trombones and rhythm are out front on Rugolo's "Interlude," and bass trombonist Bobby Knight is featured on Richards' arrangement of Cole Porter's "Get Out of Town." Also on the menu are Matt Dennis' "The Night We Called It a Day," Ralph Burns' "Early Autumn," the standard "This Is Always," Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and Roland's "Twilight Riff."

Disc 2 opens with a pair of charts written by Mathieu in 1958 as "audition pieces" that were never performed by the Kenton Orchestra. Nor were the dozen arrangements that follow, heard here for the first time as performed by the Nova Jazz Orchestra, ably led by baritone saxophonist Mike Krikava. Whatever reason Kenton had for turning them down, it certainly wasn't owing to a lack of quality but perhaps more a matter of personal taste or musical direction. Kenton knew the temperament and sound he wanted, and not every new arrangement made it into the book. A number of Mathieu's charts did, and he was the sole arranger on one of Kenton's most widely praised albums, Standards in Silhouette. Here, Mathieu's five original compositions are admirably played by the Nova ensemble along with his tasteful versions of nine standards.

Jazz and the blues--because together this musical brother and sister speak from our nation's days of the current cultural affairs and the authenticity and truth of a place where the rhythms held the pulse and the drums the heartbeat, representing every step closer the meat on the bone

Jazz and the blues--because together this musical brother and sister speak from our nation's days of the current cultural affairs and the authenticity and truth of a place where the rhythms held the pulse and the drums the heartbeat, representing every step closer the meat on the bone. Feet in the dirt, or barefoot on a stage with sequins--it's soul beats in my chest.
I was first exposed to jazz while others listened to surf music in the '50s and '60s, it was Monk, Miles, Satchmo and Ella, Rosemary Clooney and Julie London followed. Margaret Whiting, Les McCann, Willie Bobo, Andy Simpkins, Snooky Young, Bill Basie and Helen Humes. The first time I heard Topsy, Take 2, I about passed out at the age of ten.
I've hung with Les McCann who more than 30 years after our first meeting became my duet partner on my CD, Don't Go To Strangers. Karen Hernandez from the start, Jack Le Compte on drums, Lou Shoch on bass, Steve Rawlins as my arranger and pianist, Grant Geissman - guitar genius, Nolan Shaheed, Richard Simon, and more. The big boys. My Red Hot Papas. The best show I ever attended was...
I met Helen Humes first back in 1981 and helped turn one Playboy Jazz Festival night into her tribute, bring the Basie Band to stage, her joy boys. Before she took the stage for the last time to sing, If I could Be With You One Hour Tonight thousands of copies of the newspaper I wrote for carried her story. It was kismet, her being held by Joe Williams backstage. Soon in my life were the great Linda Hopkins who told me I sang the song she wrote better than her, which floored me of course, the energizing Barbara Morrison and the stellar Marilyn Maye who guided me professionally.
My advice to new listeners... let your backbone slip and feel your body stripping back the barriers that prevent us from being one with the music.
Remember none of us are strangers, we just haven't met yet.